Analytical equipment is expensive. Operating analytical equipment is also expensive requiring highly skilled operators and technicians. In the past it was necessary to perform analyses of certain processes with distinct and separate detectors and other specialized ancillary equipment. These separate and distinct detector and ancillary equipment are an impediment to automation and cost efficient research.
As used herein, the term “detectors” is used to denote apparatus and devices which receive a sample and produce a signal based on the sample composition. By way of example without limitation, detectors comprise mass spectrometers, refractometers, light scattering detectors, fluorescent and chemi-luminescent detectors, conductivity detectors, and other electrochemical or physical chemical detectors. The term “detecting” is used broadly to mean determining the presence, or absence, or concentration of a compound of interest. Sometimes detectors are grouped, plumbed in series or parallel from a single fluid line, to produce multiple signals from a single sample. Such commonly plumbed detectors are referred herein as a detector group.
As used herein, the term “processes” refers to chemical reactions, physical changes, dissolution, affinity and disassociation events and the like.
The term “chromatography” refers to the separation of compounds due to affinity to a medium.
It would be desirable for a single process to be able to be monitored by a single detector to obtain real time data as to the events of the process and to effect analytical data as to the nature of the compounds present.